How do we know when an employee is ready for a leadership role?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: It’s good you’re thinking about this. Promotions into leadership too often come with little discussion about how the leadership role will be different from the current role or whether the employee has the interest or skill set to be an effective...

Six Ways to Encourage Employees to Set Work-Personal Life Boundaries

Most everyone knows what the “hustle” is. It’s been a part of work culture since the early 19th century, when the word was first used to mean “gumption” or “hard work.” Depending on the context, hustle may be a virtue, the antithesis of laziness, or a necessity, the...

We have an employee who is going on a leave of absence. We will need to hire a temporary employee to cover those duties. What do we need to know about hiring a temporary employee?

Answer from Emily, MBA, SPHR: The process for hiring a temporary employee is like hiring regular employees. You will post the position, go through a selection process, ensure all necessary new hire paperwork is completed, and onboard the temporary employee. Just be...

We have a repeat applicant whom we offered a job to in the past. This candidate failed a drug screen back then, so we rescinded the offer. Can we reject them now based on their past drug screen result?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: No, chances are that rejecting an applicant based on a previous drug screen will violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of a disability, which includes being in recovery from...

While covering shifts for an employee on a leave of absence, we discovered errors in their work. How do we address their performance without seeming retaliatory for taking leave?

Answer from Jenny, SPHR, SHRM-SCP: Taking disciplinary or corrective action following a leave of absence is going to come with some additional risk, but there are a few steps you can take to help show that the actions you’re taking are due to the performance issue and...

Lately, we’ve noticed employees using wearable devices while working. We have a policy that limits personal cell phone use at work. Can we expand that to include wearables like smartwatches?

Yes, you can expand your policy to include wearables or other smart devices that might cause distractions to your employees while they are working. Here are a few things to consider when revising your policies: Focus your policy on the employee’s actions and not the...